This invention relates generally to drive-through structures. More particularly, this invention pertains to a drive-through restaurant and a window station therefor.
Restaurants may be classified according to the method of food delivery to customers. A standard eat-in restaurant provides tables and seating for customers, and the food order may be picked up at a counter by the customer, or delivered to the customer's table by a restaurant employee.
Drive-in restaurants provide parking space for customers wishing to eat in their vehicles while parked at the restaurant. Food orders are delivered to the vehicle by a restaurant employee.
Drive-through restaurants are a more recent phenomenon than drive-in restaurants. Typically, a driveway is provided with a menu chart and a two-way speaker/microphone combination near the beginning of the driveway, for placement of orders from the customer's vehicle. After placing an order, the customer then may drive the vehicle to a delivery window to pay for, and receive, the order but will not witness the preparation of the order.
Restaurants combining features of eat-in, drive-in and drive-through may be found. Often, drive-through restaurants have a conventional interior table seating area for those not wishing to eat in their vehicles.
A primary advantage of the drive-through restaurant is that a limited number of menu items may be kept ready for immediate sale and high volumes of such food items can be prepared and sold with minimum restaurant space and a minimum number of employees. Little parking space is required, and theoretically, a customer may order and receive a meal in minimum time, without leaving a vehicle.
The present drive-through restaurants designs function effectively where the menu has standard items and little customization is required, but is not well suited when many food variations are provided.
There are numerous drawbacks to the conventional drive-through restaurant construction.
First, if a customer wishes to change an order after passing the menu board, no communication with a restaurant employee is usually available until the delivery window is reached. The customer is for all practical purposes prevented from returning to the menu board by other waiting vehicles positioned to the rear of the customer.
Second, when a customer wishes to change an order, the already-prepared meal must then be set aside, and a new order substituted, resulting in delay to the customer as well as to following customers.
Third, the rejected meal is a cost burden to the restaurant.
Fourth, the customer cannot see the meal being prepared, so cannot oversee the preparation to ensure that the meal is as ordered.
Fifth, the customer cannot oversee the packaging of the meal to ensure that sufficient condiments, napkins, etc. are included.
Sixth, in present systems, customers sometimes feel compelled to open and inspect the meals before leaving the delivery window, to confirm that they are as ordered, and that the desired condiments, napkins, utensils, drinks, etc. have been included. Often, this results in reordering of a meal and/or a request for additional ancillary items. This post-delivery inspection and re-order slows the departure from the delivery window, delaying following customers and reducing overall throughput. An extended waiting period discourages subsequent patronization and results in a net customer loss.
Seventh, the restaurant can do nothing to encourage additional customer purchases once the order is taken and the customer has left the menu board and its communication system.
Eighth, in restaurant arrangements where the customer sees no food products during the time interval he spends between the menu board and the delivery window, there is little chance that the customer will increase his order. By contrast, if the customer sees an array of food products the likelihood of additional compulsive food purchases increases substantially.
Each of the above disadvantages of conventional drive-through restaurants is exacerbated when the menu includes complex custom assembled items such as deli-style "sub" sandwiches having a variety of optional breads, meats, vegetables, sauces, cheeses and toppings, for example.
Thus, new restaurant features are required for eliminating preparation errors, accommodating the desires of customers, minimizing the time between ordering and delivery, and expanding food sales.
A major purpose of the invention is to increase customer satisfaction by involving the customer in meal choices and preparation from start to finish. This results in more satisfied customers and increased business for the restaurant.